menu bar

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Mini Double Chocolate Cheesecakes

Today is day two of the mini cheesecake extravaganza. Although there was a little bit of chocolate in the crust and topping of yesterday's turtle cheesecakes, we knew we needed something with even more of a chocolate punch for the true chocolate lovers. These mini double chocolate cheesecakes fit the bill. We chose to top ours, but these could also be left plain or drizzled with more chocolate. Some of ours were topped with leftover (homemade) whipped cream. Others were topped with cool whip. Both variations were delicious; you can't beat a creamy dollop on top of a rich chocolate cheesecake!

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners (you may need more. Ours got closer to 22 cheesecakes!). In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs with melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Place a little bit of crust mixture in the bottom of each liner, pressing down. Bake at 350F for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in sugar and cocoa until fluffy. Add vanilla, beating until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended. Divide cheesecake mixture evenly among liners, filling almost to the top.
3. Bake cheesecakes 20-25 minutes, until centers are firm. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating at least one hour but preferable overnight.
4. Before serving, if desired, top with whipped cream or cool whip. Refrigerate until serving.